At Cherry Professional we understand the costs incurred during your recruitment process. These costs can be in terms of finance and time, which is a hassle we all want to avoid. Not only that, but if you hire the wrong person, these costs are amplified. Research has shown that more than half the companies in the top 10 economies have been affected by a bad hire. The impacts of a bad hire are:

Loss in productivity

Low morale among employees

Negative impact on client relations

Fewer sales

Costs to rehire

A decrease in sales or loss in money for the month is frustrating and disheartening but it can always be pulled back. Employee morale and the negative impact on your client relationships on the other hand, is something a little more difficult to repair.

Given these issues, there is a great deal of importance placed on finding the perfect fit. This will to add to your company’s success and limit the potential costs in having to fire a candidate and rehire and train another all over again.

So how can you hire so you don’t need to fire?

Read on for our pointers which will guide your recruitment process.

Use what you have

Before you start thinking about where to post your advert, be careful not to miss the perfect candidate which you may already have! Look at the existing skill sets of your team. Perhaps you can delegate work or you might have an employee looking to progress and take advantage of new opportunities. This is a fantastic way to boost staff morale and develop the team’s capabilities.

Know what you want

Often the main cause of recruiting the wrong employees is due to not knowing exactly what you need for the position. How often have recruited on behalf of a line manager and not fully understood the brief yourself? Briefs can be passed from a Director and others before it reaches human resources and a recruiter. This can often have a "Chinese whispers" impact. As a result, clear communication from the start is absolutely paramount.

While it is tempting, a common mistake is to reuse a previous job description, but you need to be aware of any requirements in the role which may have changed. Taking the time to reassess what you need will save you time and money and attract candidates which are more suitable. It is also worth considering how the new role will fit in with future plans of the business. Do these suit the candidate’s career goals? You need to feel confident that the candidate will be able to evolve with the business’s needs. Look at your team, how have they evolved from when you last hired an employee? Have other team members developed their skills sets, does this role need to be a higher level?

Don’t be afraid to try something new

You may feel unsure of the role you are looking for. For instance, you think you need a Procurement Officer but actually the requirements of the role has all elements of the project coordinator. If you are unsure about introducing new roles, perhaps consider using a contract or even a temporary or part time position.

Personality is key

Be aware that while it is important to have someone with the right skill set, it is equally important if not more so, to find a candidate with the right personality and attitude towards work. Skills can be taught but personality cannot. There is nothing worse than hiring someone to later find out that they are rude or offensive!